Cold-weather shelters open in Allegheny, Westmoreland

With frigid temperatures creeping in this week, cold-weather shelters in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties are open.

The United Way is working with the Welcome Home Shelter in Greensburg and Union Mission, just outside of Latrobe, to provide emergency housing and transportation. Both will be open when nighttime temperatures drop below 25 degrees.

The shelters offer a safe haven to anyone who needs help staying warm, said Jesse Sprajcar, director of regional impact initiatives with the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania.

The shelters at 218 S. Maple Ave. in Greensburg and 2217 Harrison Ave. in Latrobe will be open from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. for anyone who is homeless or without heat.

Last year, they provided 39 individuals and families with 293 nights of lodging.

To check if the shelters will be open on a given night, call 211. The shelters will be active through March 31.

Allegheny County Department of Human Services is working with Pittsburgh Mercy’s Operation Safety Net and Community Human Services Corp. to operate a winter shelter at Smithfield United Church of Christ, 620 Smithfield St., Pittsburgh.

That shelter is open 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. for men and women experiencing homelessness. A cold-weather shelter at Second Avenue Commons is awaiting final inspections for its occupancy permit and individuals will be relocated there once the permit is granted.

The shelter can accommodate 20 women and 50 men nightly. Anyone seeking warmth there will have access to service referrals, showers, meals and laundry.